Charles I of Hungary

Charles I of Hungary (1288-16 July 1342) was King of Hungary from 1308 to 1342, succeeding Andrew III of Hungary and preceding Louis I of Hungary.

Biography
Charles was born in 1288, the son of Charles Martel of Anjou and grandson of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary. Charles Martel had a claim on the Kingdom of Hungary from his mother, although Andrew III of Hungary was elected as King; Charles would inherit his father's claim. In 1300, he arrived in Hungary on the invitation of Paul I Subic of Bribir and became King of Hungary in 1301. Wenceslaus III of Bohemia was backed as King of Hungary by nobles opposed to the House of Anjou inheriting the Hungarian throne, and in 1303 Pope Boniface VIII recognized Charles as the rightful king. On 27 November 1308, he became King of Hungary after Wenceslaus' appointed successor Duke Otto III of Bavaria was jailed by Charles' supporters. Hungary was divided into twelve provinces as a result of the succession crisis, and in 1312 Charles won the Battle of Rozgony against the Aba family, uniting Hungary in 1321 after defeating all of the oligarchs that ruled Hungary. However, a 1330 campaign to conquer Wallachia was defeated by Basarab I of Wallachia at the Battle of Posada, and he turned to consolidating Hungary. He died in 1342, and Louis I of Hungary succeeded him.